BLANCHARDVILLE - Pecatonica baseball coach Jim Strommen said before the season that Barneveld was a lock to win the Six Rivers East Conference.
Barneveld (14-1, 7-0 Six Rivers East) didn't clinch a conference title with a doubleheader sweep over Pecatonica Monday, but the Eagles now have a stranglehold on repeating.
Barneveld, ranked fifth in the Division 4 Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association state poll, beat Pecatonica 12-1 in five innings in the first game and 6-3 in the night cap of the twin bill.
The Vikings' defense committed 11 errors in the twin bill, including six errors in the first game. Pecatonica (10-7, 4-2) is now two games back from Barneveld in the loss column with four conference games left.
"I was just really disappointed with how we played considering the magnitude of the doubleheader," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "Eleven errors is not going to get it done. Mentally, we didn't play well. It's been our demise this year."
Barneveld's first three hitters in its lineup, junior Cody Carmody, senior Derec Mieden and senior Josh Slaney, went a combined 7-for-11 in the first game.
Slaney went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Mieden was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and four runs scored, and Carmody was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases.
"No matter where we play Pec, it's always a dogfight," Barneveld assistant coach Ed Carmody said. "When they (the top of the order) are going strong, our team comes out strong."
Carmody reached on an error leading off the first and Mieden crushed an RBI triple off Pecatonica junior pitcher Tannar Johnson to put the Eagles on the board. The other big blow in the first came on Travis Fenton's two-run triple to right center that gave the Eagles a 4-0 lead.
Johnson lasted just two innings on the mound for the Vikings and he gave up five earned runs on seven hits.
"He (Johnson) left the ball up in the strike zone," Strommen said. "They made us pay for it."
Barneveld senior Weston Peterson pitched a complete game and struck out 10. The Vikings had just three hits off Peterson with junior Taylor Berg, senior Chris Hendrickson and junior Ross Gilbertson each collecting singles. Gilbertson drove in the only run on a single in the fourth.
Gilbertson was on base five of the six times he batted in the doubleheader (2-for-3 with three walks).
Game two
The Vikings got off to a much faster start in the second game of the doublheader. Pecatonica senior Devin Jeglum, who went 2-for-4, singled leading off the first. With two outs, Peterson walked Gilbertson. Hendrickson, who also was 2-for-4, then delivered an RBI single to left center to give the Vikings a short-lived 1-0 lead.
The Eagles answered by scoring two runs off Berg in their half of the first. Carmody singled leading off the first. Berg then walked Mieden. Slaney then drilled a two-run triple to center to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
Barneveld's players ran themselves into some runs and capitalized on the Vikings' fielding miscues to help the Eagles take a 5-1 lead. Carmody walked in the third and then stole second and third. On his steal of third, Pecatonica catcher Wyatt Massey's throw to third sailed into left field and Carmody scored.
In the fourth, the Eagles scored a run on a botched pickoff play by beating the throw home. Barneveld junior Jeremy Kitelinger then attempted to steal home. Berg balked and it allowed Kitelinger to score to give the Eagles a 5-1 lead. Berg pitched four innings and gave up two earned runs on three hits. He struck out two and walked two.
"When you give them three runs defensively, you make it hard on yourself because they will not beat themselves," Strommen said of the Eagles.
Jeglum drove in a run on a fielder's choice off Barneveld senior Grant Bowe to cut the Eagles' lead to 5-2 in the sixth. The Vikings entered the seventh trailing 6-2, but they didn't go down quietly. Johnson singled leading off the seventh. Gilbertson then beat out an infield single. Hendrickson singled to right and Massey had an RBI single to right to slice the Eagles' lead to 6-3. Barneveld brought in Carmody to pitch with the bases loaded and no outs, and he closed the game by striking out three straight batters.
"We had a rally going with the bases loaded and no outs," Strommen said. "You have to put the bat on the ball. We have been looking at too many third strikes."
Bowe went five innings and gave up one earned run on five hits. He struck out four and walked five to get the win.
Although the Eagles didn't clinch an outright conference title with the sweep of the Vikings, Strommen isn't thinking about any mathematical scenario or help the Vikings would need to share of the conference championship.
"I just think we need to concentrate on what we do," he said. "We don't have to worry about anyone else."
Barneveld (14-1, 7-0 Six Rivers East) didn't clinch a conference title with a doubleheader sweep over Pecatonica Monday, but the Eagles now have a stranglehold on repeating.
Barneveld, ranked fifth in the Division 4 Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association state poll, beat Pecatonica 12-1 in five innings in the first game and 6-3 in the night cap of the twin bill.
The Vikings' defense committed 11 errors in the twin bill, including six errors in the first game. Pecatonica (10-7, 4-2) is now two games back from Barneveld in the loss column with four conference games left.
"I was just really disappointed with how we played considering the magnitude of the doubleheader," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "Eleven errors is not going to get it done. Mentally, we didn't play well. It's been our demise this year."
Barneveld's first three hitters in its lineup, junior Cody Carmody, senior Derec Mieden and senior Josh Slaney, went a combined 7-for-11 in the first game.
Slaney went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Mieden was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and four runs scored, and Carmody was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases.
"No matter where we play Pec, it's always a dogfight," Barneveld assistant coach Ed Carmody said. "When they (the top of the order) are going strong, our team comes out strong."
Carmody reached on an error leading off the first and Mieden crushed an RBI triple off Pecatonica junior pitcher Tannar Johnson to put the Eagles on the board. The other big blow in the first came on Travis Fenton's two-run triple to right center that gave the Eagles a 4-0 lead.
Johnson lasted just two innings on the mound for the Vikings and he gave up five earned runs on seven hits.
"He (Johnson) left the ball up in the strike zone," Strommen said. "They made us pay for it."
Barneveld senior Weston Peterson pitched a complete game and struck out 10. The Vikings had just three hits off Peterson with junior Taylor Berg, senior Chris Hendrickson and junior Ross Gilbertson each collecting singles. Gilbertson drove in the only run on a single in the fourth.
Gilbertson was on base five of the six times he batted in the doubleheader (2-for-3 with three walks).
Game two
The Vikings got off to a much faster start in the second game of the doublheader. Pecatonica senior Devin Jeglum, who went 2-for-4, singled leading off the first. With two outs, Peterson walked Gilbertson. Hendrickson, who also was 2-for-4, then delivered an RBI single to left center to give the Vikings a short-lived 1-0 lead.
The Eagles answered by scoring two runs off Berg in their half of the first. Carmody singled leading off the first. Berg then walked Mieden. Slaney then drilled a two-run triple to center to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
Barneveld's players ran themselves into some runs and capitalized on the Vikings' fielding miscues to help the Eagles take a 5-1 lead. Carmody walked in the third and then stole second and third. On his steal of third, Pecatonica catcher Wyatt Massey's throw to third sailed into left field and Carmody scored.
In the fourth, the Eagles scored a run on a botched pickoff play by beating the throw home. Barneveld junior Jeremy Kitelinger then attempted to steal home. Berg balked and it allowed Kitelinger to score to give the Eagles a 5-1 lead. Berg pitched four innings and gave up two earned runs on three hits. He struck out two and walked two.
"When you give them three runs defensively, you make it hard on yourself because they will not beat themselves," Strommen said of the Eagles.
Jeglum drove in a run on a fielder's choice off Barneveld senior Grant Bowe to cut the Eagles' lead to 5-2 in the sixth. The Vikings entered the seventh trailing 6-2, but they didn't go down quietly. Johnson singled leading off the seventh. Gilbertson then beat out an infield single. Hendrickson singled to right and Massey had an RBI single to right to slice the Eagles' lead to 6-3. Barneveld brought in Carmody to pitch with the bases loaded and no outs, and he closed the game by striking out three straight batters.
"We had a rally going with the bases loaded and no outs," Strommen said. "You have to put the bat on the ball. We have been looking at too many third strikes."
Bowe went five innings and gave up one earned run on five hits. He struck out four and walked five to get the win.
Although the Eagles didn't clinch an outright conference title with the sweep of the Vikings, Strommen isn't thinking about any mathematical scenario or help the Vikings would need to share of the conference championship.
"I just think we need to concentrate on what we do," he said. "We don't have to worry about anyone else."
